Oratories — Sceilg Mhichíl

Large oratory on Skellig Michael described in 1996 as follows; 'This, the larger of the two fine oratories on the island's NE peak, was refurbished for use as a chapel by the lighthouse personnel in the nineteenth century (Windele MS 12 C 11), when the outer face of the dome appears to have been reconstructed. The building is of corbelled drystone construction and measures 6.1m NE-SW x 4.25m NW-SE externally. The walls average 1.1m in basal thickness, and the W end-wall rests on a stone plinth. They are built of sandstone rubble, with a number of horizontally disposed long slabs occurring in the basal courses of their external faces. The walls rise to a level of a 1.5m high external offset, above which they corbel regularly to form a dome-shaped vault, c. 3.25m high, closed with flat flags. The oratory measures 3.65m x 2.45m internally and is lit by a lintelled window, .47m high, in the E end-wall. This has inclining jambs and splayed ingoings, and is located just below the level of the external offset. The doorway in the W end-wall is 1.45m high, and its external lintels form part of the offset. It inclines in elevation from a basal width of 1.13m to .82m under the head. Its threshold is roughly flagged. A low recess, .36m x .11m x .25m deep, occurs above the doorway internally, while above it externally quartz stones are inset in the form of a Latin cross. This cross is an insertion, but its date is unclear (information: G. Rourke). A stone, located 2m above floor level in the S wall of the oratory, appears to be the heel-stone for a door-post. Excavations were carried out at the W end of the oratory's interior in 1987, prior to conservation work on the doorway (Lynch 1988, 18). The surface layers contained traces of charcoal and mortar, and probably date to the period of re-use of the oratory by the lighthouse personnel. Beneath was a .25m deep layer of re-deposited boulder clay which rested on an old sod layer. This re-deposited material may have been introduced to build up the floor level while the oratory was being constructed, and contained a post-hole just inside the doorway. A masonry and brick altar formerly stood against the E end-wall of the oratory. Recorded in de Paor's plan and section of the building (1955, Fig. 8), it dated from the period when the oratory was used as a chapel by the lighthouse personnel. Crofton Croker recorded that 'an unskilful representation of the crucifixion, carved in wood' hung above this altar (in Chatterton 1838, 313), while Foley noted a stone 'water-font' [KE104A001156-] on it (1903, 19)' (O'Sullivan and Sheehan 1996, 278-90, no. 948 (3)). The stone water font (stoup) measures L 0.2m; Wth 0.13m; H 0.11m. See attached LiDAR image of monastery with oratory labelled 'Large Oratory' [No. 2], taken from Bourke, Hayden and Lynch 2011, 7. Compiled by: Elizabeth Byrne, Ursula Egan and Sheila Ronan, Archaeological Survey Unit, University College, Cork. Date of upload: 30 May 2011